Belt sander



Feb. 18, 1941. TAUTZ 2,232,149

BELT SANDER Filed Oct. 16, 1937 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 a v i g 6. 0 l@@-@1 70 A iifi H. E. TAUTZ Feb. 18, 1941.

BELT SANDER Filed Oct. 16, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 m T N a m w FIG Patented Feb. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES BELT SANDER Herbert E. Tautz, Milwaukee, Wis., assignor to The Delta Manufacturing Company, Milwaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Application October 16, 1937, Serial No. 169,408

13 Claims.

The invention relates to abradlng machines and more particularly tobelt sanders and the like.

Belt sanders as heretofore constructed have been open to various objections, such as inadequate dust removal, unsatisfactory and inconvenient adjustment of the abrasive belts, incom plete guarding, and interference of enclosures and other parts with belt changing and with operations on certain classes of work.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a belt sander having improved enclosure means including readily removable guards permitting easy changing of the abrasive belt, and avoiding interference with operations on certain types of work.

Another object of the invention is to provide a belt sander which is capable of 'eflicient dust removal.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a belt sander having a movable dust deflec-.

tor or intercepter which is adjustable to avoid interference with certain types of work.

A further object is to provide an improved pul- 25 ley mounting which is capable of easy and accurate adjustment for tensioning the abrasive belt and for causing the belt to run true.

A still further object is to provide a belt sander which can readily be adjusted for operation in 30 either a horizontal or a vertical position.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a belt sander con- 35 structed in accordance with the invention, the sander being arranged for horizontal operation and being equipped with an adjustable work stop, and another position of the work stop being indicated in dotted lines;

40 Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the sander;

Fig. 3 is an elevation of the other side of the sander, the machine being arranged for vertical sanding and provided with a tilting table for the work;

45 Fig. 4 is a side elevation of the sander in horizontal position, with guards removed, and equipped with a work-guiding fence;

Fig. 5 is a detail elevation of a side guard for the sander;

50 Fig. 6 is an elevation of the idler pulley end of the sander, the belt and an end guard being removed, and parts being broken away and parts being shown in section;

Fig. '7 is a detail view of an inner dust de- 55 flector for the sander;

Fig. 8 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 8-8 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a sectional view taken generally along the line 9-8 of Fig. 8, the abrasive belt being reso moved;

Fig. 10 is a sectional view taken generally along the line Ill-l0 of Fig. 8;

Fig. 11 is a sectional view taken generally along the line ll-il of Fig. 8;

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken generally along the line i2|2 of Fig. 4, but with the side guard replaced;

Fig. 13 is a detail view of the end guard;

Fig. 14 is a perspective view of an adjustable dust intercepter or deflector;

Fig. 15 is a detail sectional view of an adjusting device for the idler pulley, and

Fig. 16 is a top plan view of the tilting table of Fig. 3.

In these drawings, 20 designates a hollow, in- 15 ternally ribbed base having openings 2| for fastening bolts, not shown. A hollow, internally ribbed housing or supporting member 22 is suitably secured to the top of the base, as by screws 20 23, and is provided with spaced ball bearings 24 and 25 on which a horizontal drive shaft 26 is mounted, the opposite ends of the shaft projecting through the housing. One end of the shaft 26 carries a drive pulley 21 and the other end carries a drum pulley 28, the latter being secured on the shaft by a nut 29 and preferably being in the form of two hollow, internally ribbed halves placed end to end on the shaft.

The side of the housing or supporting member 30 adjacent the drum pulley 28 is in the form of a hollow hub-like pivot projection 30 concentric with the shaft 26 and having an annular clamping shoulder 30, Fig. 8, the ball bearing 25 being carried in a reduced end portion of the projection. An elongated, hollow, arm-like frame member 3| has a transversely apertured end portion 32 which is pivotally carried on the housing projection 30 and is swingable thereon to different angular positions, more particularly horizontal and vertical positions. The horizontal position of the frame member 3| is determined by an adjustable stop stud 33 upstanding from the base 20 and having a supporting engagement with the frame member. The frame member engages the annular shoulder 30' on the housing projection 30 and is clamped in its adjusted position against this shoulder by headed clamping screws 34 threaded into a clamping ring 35, Figs. 8 and 9. The screws 34 extend 5 through the housing 22 parallel to, and on opposite sides of, the shaft 26, and the clamping ring 35 fits in and engages an annular rabbet 36 formed in the frame member at the side adjacent the drum pulley 28. The frame member and housing when clamped together form, in effect, a rigid frame which supports the pulleys and guards one side of the abrasive belt drive. The reduced end portion of the housing projection 30 extends beyond the frame member 3| and clamping ring 35, so that the bearing 25 can be brought closeto the pulley 28.

' The outer or free end of the swingable frame member 3| is of C-shaped cross-section. and is provided'at the inner sides of its upper and lower portions with parallel keyways 31, Figs. 6 and 10, extending longitudinally of the frame member. Keys 38 are slidably mounted in the respective keyways. A hollow, forked pulley-supporting arm or bracket 39 fits between the keys 38 and is pivotally carried on a pintle 48 the opposite ends of which are journalled in the keys,

the axis of the pintle being substantially perpendicular to the plane of the top flight or run of the belt. A shaft ll extends substantially parallel to the; pulley drum shaft 28 and is journalled at opposite ends on ball bearings 82 carried by the forked bracket, one of the bearings being adiaccnt the pintle 48. An. idler drum pulley 43 is carried on the shaft ll and is similar to, but smaller than, the drum pulley 28.

The two drum pulleys are connected by an endless abrasive belt-or band 44. The straight upper or active flight of the belt bears on a table 45 the opposite ends of which are adjacent the drum pulleys. The table is suitably ribbed and flanged on its under side'and is rigidly secured to the hollow frame member 3| by screws 48. If desired, the flat top surface of-the table may be diagonally grooved, as shown, or otherwise relieved, so as to facilitate machining and to provide an improved backing support for the belt. The drum pulley 28 is sumciently large in diameter to provide adequate belt traction without using a rubber or other special facing.

Means are provided for adjusting the idler drum pulley 43 so as to facilitate changing of the belt and also to effect proper tensioning of the belt and to cause the belt to run true on the pulleys. The angular position of the bracket 39 is adjusted by a screw 41 threadedtransversely through the outer wall of the frame member 3| and engaging the bracket at a distance from the pintle ll, thescrew 81 being locked in adjusted position by a hand nut 48. The bracket 39 has a rounded heel 48 which is engaged by a lever 50,'Figs. 8, 10 and 15, mounted withinthe hollow frame 3| on a horizontal pin carried on the frame and extending'transversely of the frame member. The lever 58 has a forked end embracing a sleeve or tubular member 52 of square cross-section which is slidably mounted on a shaft-53. The shaft is journalled at its upper end in the frame member 3! and at its lower end in a bearing cap 58 secured by screws 55 to the apertured lower portion of the frame member. The shaft 53 is confined against axial movement by a crank handle 58 secured to the lower end of the shaft and by a collar 51 pinned to the shaft above the bearing cap. A coiled spring 58 surrounding the shaft below the tubular member urges the latter upwardly. A coiled spring 59 surrounding the shaftwithin the tubular member urges the latter downwardly and is compressed by a nut 88 engaging a screw-threaded portion of the shaft and non-rotatably fitting within the tubular member. The two springs are seated on shouldered portions of the tubular member. The upper end of the tubular member 52 carries ledges or flanges ii at opposite sides provided with concave lower faces or shoulders 82 engaged by the convex upper faces 83 of the forked lever 53. By screwing the nut 63 downwardly thetubular member 52 is also moved downwardly, and the forked lever 58 is caused to swing outwardly, thus sliding the pulley-supportingibracket 39 outwardly along the keyways 31 and increasing the tension on the belt.

The shaft 53 and the several parts mounted thereon form a sub-assembly which is readily mounted in place by inserting it into the apertured frame member 3| and fastening the bearing member 54 by the screws 55.

The drum pulley 28 is partially enclosed by a hood or guard 84 which is somewhat wider than the length of the pulley and is provided with inturned flanges 85 and 86 at opposite sides. The flange 85 is secured to a marginal flange 61 of the frame member 3| by screws 88. A spout 89 is formed on the hood to constitute a dust outlet conduit and is adapted for connection to a suitable receptacle or vacuum dust collector, not shown.

A dust interceptor 10, Figs. 7 and 9, extends across the bottom portion of the hood near the spout enlargement and is rigidly secured thereto by screws I l. The interceptor has a curved vane or lip 12, the upper edge of which lies close to the abrasive belt.

The upper edge of the hood 68 lies slightly below the plane of the upper flight of the abrasive belt and has lugs 13 at opposite sides to which a transversely extending dust deflector I4 is pivotally secured by screws 15, the deflector having screw-threaded lugs 16 near its ends to receive the screws, and having inturned or downwardly projecting wings or flanges 11 at its ends to minimize lateral discharge of the dust impinging on the deflector. The pivotal axis of the deflector extends substantially parallel to the shaft 28. The deflector is frictionally held in adjusted position and forms an extension of the hood. For ordinary sanding or polishing the deflector is swung upwardly to project above the extended plane of the upper flight of the abrasive belt at an acute angle to the belt flight, as seen in Figs.

.1 and 9, so as to form a scoop for catching practically all of the dust, and when long pieces are to be abraded the deflector is swung downwardly toward the pulley 28 and to the level of the table, as seen in Fig. 4, so as not to interfere with the work.

A panelled, trough-shaped, sheet metal bottom guard plate 18 has upstanding side flanges 19 and 88. The flange I9 is clamped to the frame flange 81 by screws 8| threaded into clamping bars 82, the guard plate flange beingslotted or notched to receive the screws. .One end of the bottom guard plate is received in a positioning groove 83, Fig. 9, formed in the edge of the hood A sheet metal side guard plate 84 bears at its lower edge against the flange 88 of the bottom plate, and bears at its upper edge against the side edge of the table 45, to which it is removably secured by a thumb screw 85, the thumb screw passing through an opening 85' in the guard plate and being screw-threaded into the table. One end of the guard plate 84 has an arcuate edge 86 which enters-a positioning groove 81 formed in the edge of the hood flange 66, and the other end is bulged at 88 to clear the idler pulley bracket 38. The side guard plate is readilyremoved so as to facilitate changing of the abrasive belt. The grooved arcuate edge of the hood 68 is formed to a radius slightly larger than the radius of the drum pulley 28.

The idler drum pulley 43 is housed in-an end hood or guard 89 which telescopes over the end of the machine and is detachably secured thereto by a hand nut on a stud 9| screw-threaded into the end of the frame member 9|, the stud passing through an opening 92 in the guard and between flanges 99 formed on the guard and engageable with the end of the frame member. The guard also has positioning dowels 99, Fig. 11, which enter openings 95 formed in the end of the frame member. The side edgeof the guard 99 has a positioning channel or rabbet 99 to receive the end of the side guard plate 99, and the bottom edge of the guard 99 has a positioning groove 91 to receive the end of the bottomplate I8. For sanding long pieces, the guard 99 may readily be removed. The guard is also removed when changing the abrasive belt.

The work is guided on the machine in various ways. In Figs. 1, 2 and 8, the machine is provided with an adjustably mounted back stop 99 for small flat work, the stop extending across the belt to prevent the work from being carried along the belt. The stop is detachably secured by a screw 99 to a longitudinally slotted bar I00. A stud IN is threaded into the outer side of the frame member 3| parallel to the shaft 26 and extends through the slotted bar I00, the bar being clamped to the frame member by a handle nut I02 on the stud. Another position for the back stop is indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In Figs. 4 and 12, the machine is shown to be provided with a fence I09, which is used for certain types of work, such as edge sanding of long pieces. The fence is secured by screws I09 to the ends of a pair of longitudinally slotted bars I05. Upstanding studs I06 are removably screwthreaded into openings I0'I in the top surface of the frame member 3| and pass through the slotted bars, the bars being clamped in place by handle nuts I08 on the studs. Washers I09 below the bars serve to space the bars and fence above the abrasive belt. The fence is adjustable across the width .of the table so as to distribute wear on the belt.

For certain classes of work it is desired to have the active flight of the belt extend vertically, and for this purpose the frame member 3| is swung about its pivotal mounting to a vertical position, as seen in Fig. 3. For use in this position, the machine is provided with a tilting table IIO having a groove III for guiding a miter gage, not shown. The table is secured by screws II2 to a hollow arm I I3 which is provided with an arcuate trunnion rib II9 fitting in an arcuate trunnion groove II5 formed in the outer side face of the frame member 3|, the pivotal axis of the table being parallel to the shaft 26 and lying substantially in the plane of the working flight or run of the abrasive belt. The trunnion arm II9 has an arcuate slot II6 receiving the stud IM and is clamped in angularly adjusted position by a handle nut III on the stud. A scale III is secured to the frame member and cooperates with an index pointer II9 on the arm. A swingable stop I20 on the frame member cooperates with adjustable stop abutments I2I on the arm for facility in obtaining accurate positioning of the table in various much-used angular positions.

In setting up the machine for use, the guards 89 and 89 are removed from the machine to permit the abrasive belt 94 to be mounted on the drum pulleys, the idler pulley being slackened by the crank handle 56 to facilitate mounting of the belt. The idler pulley is then readjusted by the screw 91 and crank handle 50 to tension the belt and to cause it to run true. The spring 59 in the pulley-shifting device prevents excessive tensioning of the belt and also avoids damage to the belt if the belt should shrink. The side guard 99 is then replaced, and in many instances the end guard 99 is also replaced. The appropriate work-guiding device is mounted on the machine, and in some cases the machine is placed in the vertical position shown in Fig. 3.

In operation, the driving drum pulley 29 is rotated in the proper direction, causing the working or active flight of-the abrasive belt to move toward the hood 64. The work is then applied to the belt, causing the work to be sanded, smoothed, polished, or otherwise flnished, according to the nature of the belt. The dust from the operation passes along the belt and is intercepted by the adjustable deflector 19 so as to pass into the hood i9 and be drawn off through the spout 69, the interceptor I0 minimizing the flow of dust beyond the spout enlargement of the hood. The idler pulley can readily be adjusted while the belt is running and without removing guards or other parts.

The enclosure of the machine not only reduces flying dust but also guards both the machine and the operator from injury.

The machine can be used not only for sandin or smoothing wood, but also for polishing or flnishing metal and other materials.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In an abradlng machine, the combination of means for supporting and driving an abrasive belt which presents a work-abrading flight, said means including a pulley over which the belt passes and toward which said flight travels, a dust-collecting guard hood for said pulley having a portion adjacent to the plane of said belt flight, and a scoop-forming deflector shiftabl y carried by said guard hood to project beyond the plane of said belt flight for directing dust from said flight into said guard hood, said deflector being mounted on said hood adjacent to the plane of said belt flight and being adjustable laterally of the plane of said belt flight to avoid interference with long work.

2. In an abradlng machine, the combination of means for supporting and driving an abrasive belt which presents a work-abradlng flight, said means including a pulley over which the belt passes and toward which said flight travels, and dust-collecting means including a shiftably mounted scoop-forming deflector adjacent to said pulley to project beyond the plane of said belt flight for intercepting dust passing along said flight, said deflector having a free edge portion which is normally at an acute angle with respect to the plane of said belt flight, and said deflector being adjustable laterally of the plane of said flight to avoid interference with long work.

3. In an abradlng machine, the combination of means for supporting and driving an abrasive belt which presents a Work-abradlng flight, said means including a pulley over which the belt passes and toward which said flight travels,.a dust collector adjacent to said pulley, and a dust deflector pivotally mounted on said collector adjacent to the plane of said belt flight and forming a scoop-like extension of said collector for directing dust from said flight into the collector, said deflector being swingable outwardly to scoopforming position and being swingable inwardly toward said pulley to avoid interference with long work, said deflector when swung outwardly projecting beyond the plane of said belt flight.

4. In an abrading machine, the combination of spaced pulleys for supporting an abrasive belt which presents a work-abrading flight, the axes of said pulleys being substantially parallel, a bracket rotatably carrying one of said pulleys, a

support having guideways parallel to said belt flight, members slidable along said guideways, said bracket fitting between said members to slide therewith and pivotally mounted thereon to swing about an axis substantially perpendicular to the plane of said flight, and means for sliding said bracket along said guideways and for angularly displacing said bracket on its pivotal mounting.

5. In an abrading machine, the combination of a frame, spaced pulleys carried on and projecting laterally from said frame for supporting and driving an abrasive belt, a table secured to said frame for backing the work-abrading flight of said belt, a dust-collecting hood secured to said frame for enclosing one of said pulleys and hav-' ing a dust outlet conduit, a bottom guard secured to said frame, and a detachably mounted side guard extending from said table to said bottom guard and from said pulley-enclosing hood to a point adjacent to the other pulley, said pulleys being carried on said frame independently of said side guards. 6. In an abrading machine, the combination of a frame, spaced pulleys carried on and projecting laterally from said frame for supporting and driving an abrasive belt, a table secured to said frame for backing the work-abrading flight of said belt, a dust-collecting hood securedto said frame for enclosing one of said pulleys and having a'dust outlet conduit, a bottom guard secured to said frame, a detachably'mounted side guard-extending from said table to said bottom guard and from said pulley-enclosing hood to a point adjacent to the other pulley, and an end guard for the other pulley detachably secured to 40 said frame and engaging the adjacent ends of said bottom guard plate and side guardplate, said pulleys being carried on said frame independently of said side guard.

7. In an abrading machine, the combination of a supporting member having a pivot portion,

a shaft journalled in said supporting member and extending through said pivot portion coaxially therewith, a pulley carried on saidshaft to support an abrasive belt thereon, a frame pivotally mounted on said pivot portion to swing about the axis of said shaft, a pulley carried by said frame at a distance from said first-named pulley to support another portion of said belt,

and means for securing said frame to said sup- I porting member in angularly adjusted position.

8. In an abrading machine, thecombination of a supporting member having a pivot portion, a shaft journalled in said supporting member and extending through said pivot portion coaxially therewith, a pulley carried by said shaft which presents a work-abrading flight, the axes of said pulleys being substantially parallel, a bracket on which one of said pulleys is'rotatably carried, a support on which said bracket is movably mounted to tension the belt, a shaft journalled in said support, a longitudinally movable tubular member slidably and non-rotatably surrounding said shaft and having a spring seat, said tubular member having a displacing connection with said bracket, a nut threaded on said shaft and fitting non-rotatably in said tubular member, and a coiled spring within said tubular member surrounding said shaft between said nut and said seat to transmit axial movement of said nut to said tubular member.

10 In an abrading machine, the combination of spaced pulleys for supporting an abrasive belt which presents a work-abrading flight, the axes of said pulleys being substantially parallel, a bracket on which one of said pulleys is rotatably carried, a support on which said bracket is movably mounted to tension the belt, a shaft journalled insaid support, a longitudinally movable tubular member slidably and non-rotatably surrounding said shaft and having a spring seat, said tubular member having a displacing connection with said bracket, a nut threaded on said shaft and fitting non-rotatably in said tubular member, a coiled spring within said tubular member surrounding said shaft between said nut and said seat to transmit axial movement of said nut to said tubular member, and spring means for urging said tubular member in the opposite direction when said nut is moved to release the pressure on said coiled spring.

11. In an abrading machine, the combination of means for supporting and driving an abrasive belt which presents a work-abrading flight, said means including a pulley over which the belt passes and toward which said flight travels, a dust-collecting hood for said pulley, and a dustdeflecting plate shiftably carried by said hood to project beyond the plane of said belt flight for directing dust into said hood, said deflecting plate having inturned flanges at opposite ends, and said deflector being shiftable laterally of the plane of said belt flight to avoid interference with long work.

12. A belt sander comprising a belt having a working face of abrasive material, a drive pulley within the belt at one end, an idler pulley within the belt at the other end, a casing surrounding the belt and the drive pulley, but having an open face to give access to one run of the working face of the belt, an end guard hood for said casing, surrounding the idler pulley and the superimposed portion of the belt, and means for detachably securing the guard hood to the casing.

13. A belt sander comprising a belt having a working face of abrasive material, a drive pulley within the belt at one end, an idler pulley within the belt at the other end, a, casing surrounding the belt and the drive pulley, but having an open face to give access to one run of the working face of the belt, an end guard hood for said casing, surrounding the idler pulley and the superimposed portion of the belt, and means for detachably securing the guard hood to the casing, said means consisting of a single fastener, offset to one side of an end of the idler pulley.

HERBERT E. TAUTZ. 

